The Mt. Laconte Lodge at, you can probably guess, the top of Mt. Laconte. You can rent cabins there for an overnight stay at the top of the mountain, which, with a little additional planning can be made into a small through hike with light packs since they have beds,… Continue reading
I call this the proof of sighting picture – it’s not really good at ISO 3200 and still a slower shutter – but we saw our bear. It wasn’t until our last day, and completely by chance that we saw a black bear along the road out of Smokies munching… Continue reading
Smoky Mountains Day 1 itinerary: 9:30pm (CT) – depart Chicago (Midlothian) Drove through the night 8:30am – arrive in the Smoky Mountains Stopped at Sugarlands visitor center Headed to Ramsey Falls (+ coffee) 10:20 – started hike 12:15 – arrived at the fall 1:15 – start descent 3:30 – return… Continue reading
The trail up to the Chimneys in the Smoky Mountains. There is supposedly a gorgeous panoramic view at the top. It was white for 360 degrees, but we kind of anticipated that given the fog on the trail which was pretty cool in and of itself. Picture taken with Sony… Continue reading
The rare, and much sought after, Stinking Benjamin! A red variety of trillium that we were keeping an eye out for the entire trip. From Wikipedia: “The flowers have the smell of rotting meat, as they are pollinated by flies.” Picture taken with Sony a6000, SEL 18-200mm lens @ 39mm,… Continue reading
Followed this gray heron for a while – I’m not sure if I was bothering it, it was on the other side of a river and I was shooting with a 420mm lens, but I’m not familiar with herons roosting in trees either. Picture taken with Canon 60D, EF 70-300mm… Continue reading
Here’s a creepy crawly (millipede) that we came across because, when you’re in the woods and you see a bug, you aught photograph that bug. Found on the trail to Rainbow Falls. Picture taken with Sony a6000, SEL 18-200mm lens @165mm, 1/60 sec, f/6.3, ISO 1600
The last of the Cades Cove Fog burning off as we made our second loop around the area. I should have backed off a bit more to get some additional fence in the shot, I think. Picture taken with Sony a6000, SEL 18-200mm lens @ 33mm, 1/10 sec, f/16, ISO… Continue reading
A spider web, on a fence, by a restroom, that was open at 7AM… I was trying to keep the background in focus, thus the f/18, but apparently that wasn’t going to get quite enough DOF. Calculator says I only had about 3″ of depth behind the web, so any… Continue reading
The historic Cable Grist Mill in Cades Cove. Took many, many pictures trying to decide just how I wanted the wheel to look. It wasn’t spinning when we first arrived, but an attendant came and enabled it. Pictures taken with Canon 60D, EF-S 10-22mm lens @ 11mm, 15 sec, f/16,… Continue reading